My current/future site

About three weeks ago I found out where in Ethiopia I will be living for the next 2 years. Of the 57 education volunteers in G9, I will be the one chosen to stay in Butajira (our current training site). I’m not going to lie and say that I was thrilled when I found out the news. We found out at our site ceremony where everyone’s site was revealed one by one. I was so excited the morning of site ceremony to find out where my future home would be. One by one, a site was described and then the name of the trainee who would be stationed there was called. An hour and a half later, it was time to reveal the last site. We all knew that one person would be staying in Butajira and since my name was the one that had yet to be called, everyone knew it was me. I wasn’t excited because Butajira wasn’t anything new to any of us sine we’ve been here eight weeks already. So I was a bit disappointed because while everyone got to go off on their site visit and discover a new part of Ethiopia, I would be staying where I was, a place that everyone already knows about. After asome thought however, I realized all the positives that there were to staying in Butajira.

For one, and probably one of the most important things for most volunteers is I have internet!! That’s more than a lot of volunteers can say about their sites. Some volunteers don’t even have regular network in their site so I’m very thankful for the internet. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to contact everyone back home for 2 years, but I got lucky and that won’t be the case. Another positive is I’ve already met so many people in Butajira. Many people know who I am and I have several children who call me by name when I walk down the street. Several volunteers have come up to me and said that their host families were so excited that I would be the one staying in Butajira. So that makes me feel really good. Next, I’m only 2 – 3 hours from Addis Ababa. So if there are ever any items that I’m missing or foreign foods that I crave, I can always hop on a minibus and spend the day in Addis. One G9 volunteer found out that her site was 2 days away from Addis!!!

Also, even though I do not have a site mate and so will be the only volunteer here when training is over I’ve been told that Butajira will probably be the training site for future trainees. So I will get to host G10 and G11 when they arrive next year and show them all around Butajira. Also, many G9 volunteers will come back to visit their host families throughout their service so I will get to see them as well.

Furthermore, when I found out where I would be place I was upset because I wouldn’t discover a new part of Ethiopia. G9 however, has been dispersed over 4 regions in Ethiopia so I have plenty of people that I can visit over the next 2 years. Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, and SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region). The name of this region correctly portrays how culturally diverse the area is. There are 9 regions in Ethiopia however about half of those regions Peace Corps does not work in and has told us not to visit for safety and security reasons. These include the Afar, Somali, Gambella, and Benishangul regions.

Butajira is located in SNNPR. SNNPR represents some 45 different ethno-linguistic groups. Most of the historical sightseeing destinations are located in northern Ethiopia however SNNPR is of primary interests for its natural and cultural attractions. There are several beautiful lakes along the Rift Valley floor and several National Parks for viewing wildlife. Butajira is located at the base of the Zebidar massif in the Gurage Zone. Butajira is beautiful. Since it is rainy season everything is green and lush. When the sun comes out you can see the stunning and impressive mountain range that surrounds this town. Based on the 2007 census, this town has a population of a little over 33,000 making it a middle sized town for Ethiopia. About 50% of the population has reported being Muslim, 30% practice Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (I’m hoping to learn more about this type of Christianity while I am here), and 8% are Protestant.

All in all, I’m happy to be spending the next 2 years of my life here in Butajira. When the sun is out this town is gorgeous (dry season, aka, sunny time, lasts from mid-September to June so I’m excited). I’ve also  met some amazing people and started to form some wonderful friendships. I hope these facts shed some light on my home for the next 2 years.